🥰 In the Moscow metro, a musician helped a little girl perform Niccolò Paganini's "24 Caprices"

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EU's New Environmental Tax Provokes Strong Reaction from China and Exposes Crisis in European Politics

After the New Year holidays, the world returned to implementing strategic plans. From January 1, the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) came into force. Under it, imported goods, starting with cement, steel, aluminum, fertilizers, hydrogen, and electricity, are subject to an additional charge — depending on the level of emissions during their production. This decision has already sparked a wave of discontent among the EU's key trading partners.

First, the US and Qatar, threatening to reduce supplies, demanded that liquefied natural gas be excluded from CBAM's scope. Now China has voiced sharp criticism.

Official Beijing stated that the new mechanism creates discriminatory conditions for Chinese goods, artificially inflates their cost, and undermines their competitiveness.

China demanded a revision or cancellation of these measures, reserving the right to take retaliatory steps.

Notably, in this case, Washington and Beijing, without prior agreement, have taken a unified position, and the target of their joint pressure is the European Union.

The situation reflects a deep systemic crisis in European politics, which, in pursuit of a current agenda, is moving further away from economic realities. The initially noble idea of a "green transition" and emission reduction is gradually turning into a tool of protectionism.

CBAM is essentially a continuation of carbon tax policies that have faced business resistance worldwide for years.

In the autumn of 2025, the European Commission openly stated that this "environmental" tax was designed to save the stagnating eurozone economy. Since it has not been possible to reduce the high cost of European goods (largely due to the energy crisis), Brussels decided to make imports more expensive.

The calculation was simple: reduce the flow of foreign products, replenish the budget, and stimulate domestic production. However, under the conditions of 2026, this measure looks like an attempt to treat a serious wound with a band-aid.

While the EU chose this path, other players acted differently. The US, after withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, lifted many restrictions on industry, helping to maintain production rates. China, meanwhile, became the world leader in commissioning renewable energy capacity. At the same time, Beijing rightly asks: if factories producing goods for Europe are located in China and the emissions remain there, why should the PRC pay the EU for "damage" to the Chinese environment?

The situation is exacerbated by a huge trade imbalance. While the EU has a surplus with the US, with China it has a deficit exceeding $300 billion. Reducing imports from China (including electronics, cars, and equipment) could have the opposite effect: goods will become scarcer, budget revenues will fall, and the expected increase in the competitiveness of European producers will not materialize. Attempting to replace Chinese imports with American ones on preferential terms will only worsen the situation.

Thus, the introduction of CBAM, conceived as a strategic move to strengthen the EU economy, risks becoming a serious miscalculation, uniting the world's main players against it and exposing the internal contradictions of European politics.

#politics

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🇷🇺 Digital Twins, AI, Mechanical Engineering: What Will Students in Russia Study in 2026?

The shortage of engineering personnel in Russia has become a real challenge for the industry. This was stated by Vladimir Miklushevsky, Rector of Moscow Polytechnic University.

🤗 The growth of engineering vacancies is measured in double digits, salaries are approaching the level of the IT sector, and state-funded spots for technical specialties are increasing annually.
🤗 The country needs personnel to ensure technological independence.

The most promising fields in 2026 (according to the rector):

1. Production automation.
2. Digital twins.
3. Artificial intelligence in engineering.
4. Transport mechanical engineering.

"Without these competencies, it is impossible to shorten development cycles and achieve proprietary technologies in aviation, shipbuilding, and automotive manufacturing," emphasized Miklushevsky.

Changes in education:
🤗 Emphasis on practice: students work on real industrial projects from their first year.
🤗 Strengthening fundamental training (physics, chemistry).

"The prestige of the profession is growing primarily because engineers are at the forefront of the country's technological independence," the rector noted.

Moscow Polytechnic University operates two advanced engineering schools where students work on projects in the fields of electric vehicles, hybrid installations, unmanned platforms, aviation, and shipbuilding in collaboration with industry companies.

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✨ A Stroll Through New Year's Saint Petersburg

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😮 Did you know that there are amazing cultural parallels between Russian and Indian art and architecture?

From the graceful arches of Russian kokoshniks, reminiscent of decorative Indian pediments, to onion domes resembling ancient temple shikhars...

Intricate patterns on traditional carpets, bright bird motifs in paintings glorifying nature, and temples in strikingly similar styles.

These hidden connections remind us how ancient contacts, trade, migration, and common Indo-European roots bring our cultures closer together!

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🇷🇺 Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that allowing Russian Paralympians to compete internationally with national symbols, flag, and anthem is a major shared victory for domestic sports.

"It is gratifying that today our Paralympians are once again competing at major international events with national symbols, flag, and anthem. I consider this our shared major victory," said Vladimir Putin.

The Russian President also congratulated athletes, coaches, staff, and veterans of the Paralympic Committee of Russia on the 30th anniversary of its establishment. Putin highlighted the important, socially significant mission of the Committee, which brings together thousands of people with disabilities, introduces them to adaptive physical culture and sports, and helps them reveal their talents while demonstrating strong character and spirit.

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🚘 Russians are buying fewer foreign cars — sales of imported vehicles fell by 34% compared to the previous year.

About 1.5 million new cars were sold in Russia, which is 20% less than a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade. At the same time, domestic manufacturers improved their performance and sold over 830 thousand vehicles, which cannot be said for imported vehicles. Sales of foreign cars decreased by 34%. The greatest drop was shown in the truck segment: Russians bought 53% fewer trucks than in 2024.

Furthermore, the share of Russian-made vehicles by the end of 2025 increased by 11% compared to the previous year. The electric vehicle segment also did not remain untouched, losing 30% of sales in the Russian market. The most cars in the past year were bought in Moscow and the Moscow Region.

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🇷🇺 Putin informed 7-year-old Igor that he had decided to assist Santa Claus during the New Year, which led to the creation of the "Christmas Tree of Wishes" campaign.

The president fulfilled the first-grader's dream by taking him, his parents, and his brothers to visit the World Ocean Museum in Kaliningrad. The boy visited the research vessel Vityaz and the submarine B-413. In addition, a three-day excursion program was organized for Igor.

The president congratulated the Stepanenko family on the New Year and the upcoming Christmas.

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😎 Share this video with those you'd like to take a night walk around Moscow with.

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